Rory's chest tightens with the urgency as she speeds toward her former secondary school, perched atop a formidable hill in the heart of the city. The knowledge that time is slipping through her fingers like grains of sand drives her to push the accelerator harder, weaving through the labyrinth streets with determined focus.
In the midst of her frantic drive, the shrill ring of her phone shatters the silence inside the car. Her hand, still firmly gripping the steering wheel, fumbles for the phone.
"Hello?" Rory answers, her voice laces with eagerness.
"Rory? Where are you? I thought you were home, so I stopped by," Vivi's voice crackles through the receiver, tinged with concern.
Vivi—Vivienne Kumang—had been a close friend of both Rory and Collin since their secondary school years.
"I'm on my way to school," Rory replies, her gaze fixed on the winding road leading to their alma mater.
"Huh?" Vivi's voice wavers with disbelief. "What on earth are you doing there in the middle of the night?"
Rory slams on the brakes, her eyes drawn to the looming silhouette of SMK Tanjong Lobang, standing sentinel-like in the darkness. The very sight evokes a surge of memories, bittersweet and haunting.
"Uhm... Collin wanted me to retrieve something," Rory explains, her voice trailing off as her gaze wanders to the vast starry expanse above.
"C-Collin...?" Vivi's voice falters.
Rory replies with a soft 'Mhm'.
A heavy silence settled between them, pregnant with unspoken understanding, until Vivi broke it with an awkward cough, attempting to regain her composure.
"Do you want me to join you?" she offers; her voice brimming with genuine concern.
Gazing up at the darkened heavens, Rory feels a sudden chill in the air, a harbinger of imminent rainfall.
"I'll wait for you at the main gate," she replies, her resolve solidifying with each passing second.
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With an umbrella in hand, Vivi emerges from her car, offering a reassuring smile as Rory greets her with a mixture of relief and anticipation.
"Hey," Vivi said, her voice laced with comfort.
"Hey," Rory replies, feeling a surge of reassurance wash over her.
"Shall we proceed?" Vivi asks, her grin slightly askew, mirroring the palpable excitement coursing through her veins.
Rory nods, and together, they make their way to the opposite end of the compound, clambering over the walls to bypass the security guardhouse.
This hidden path had been their secret passage in their high school days, an open secret shared among the students. Rory couldn't help but wonder if the current students were even aware of this covert route. As they moved, Rory couldn't help but notice the towering weeds, a testament to the years of neglect the pathway had endured.
"Whoa, it's been ages since I've been here," Vivi remarks as they traverse the corridors, her phone flashlight darting around, illuminating their surroundings.
"Yup, me too," Rory agrees, sweeping her own phone light across the area.
It had been a whole decade since she last set foot in the school, and the changes are stark.
"Hey, we didn't have that back then!" Vivi whispers, pointing her light towards a machine tucked in the corner of the administration building's foyer. The machine, a bright vending machine, stood out in the dimness. Naturally drawn to it, Rory and Vivi insert money and punch the buttons, the machine responding with a mechanical whir.
Two canned drinks clunk down into the retrieval slot, and Vivi reaches in to grab them.
"Here you go," she said, handing over a coffee to Rory, who accepts it with a grateful smile.
"Must be nice to have a vending machine," Rory remarks, cracking open the can and taking two quick sips. Vivi giggles in response.
"Where are we headed?" Vivi's voice reverberates through the deserted lobby as she finishes her drink, tossing the empty can into a nearby trash can.
"The rooftop," Rory replies.
They resume their journey, ascending the stairs until they reach a door leading to the rooftop area. With a twist of the doorknob, disappointment etched across her features, Rory turns back to Vivi with a disheartened expression.
"It's locked." she laments.
Vivi looks scans their surroundings, curiosity gleaming in her eyes. "What are you looking for?"
"Apparently, Collin prepared a treasure hunt game for me. I'm supposed to look for a tape," Rory explains.
"A treasure hunt game? Sounds just like Collin," Vivi chuckles. "And you think he would have hidden something here?"
"Well, the clue mentioned something about 'seventh period'," Rory muses.
"Ah," Vivi nods, a memory flickering to life. "Collin used to skip the seventh period often during his first month here and come up to the rooftop."
Rory nods in affirmation.
"Well, with the door locked, we might need to sneak into the teacher's lounge to get the keys. But that's practically impossible. There are CCTVs everywhere," Vivi reasons.
A heavy silence enveloped them as they both delved into their thoughts, racking their brains for an alternative plan.
"Let's head downstairs first," Rory suggests, prompting a nod from Vivi.
They retrace their steps, descending the stairs. However, as they reach the first floor, Rory halts, her gaze fixates on the empty corridor, a flicker of remembrance crossing her face.
Suddenly, a realization dawn upon her.
"Viv, I think it might be there," Rory declares, striding purposely down the first-floor corridor.
"Huh, where?" Vivi asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she jogs to catch up with Rory. Recognition dawns on her as she recognizes the familiar path. "Ah, of course,"
Guided by an intuitive pull, Rory leads the way to their old classroom. Sliding the door open, they step inside, and to their surprise, the classroom is bathed in a mysterious glow, as if the very lights had stirred to life in response to their presence. A surge of nostalgia mingled with unease wash over Rory—how peculiar that most classrooms would be locked at this hour.
"Let's start looking around," Rory commands and they begin scouring the room, meticulously exploring every corner, including the lockers tucked behind the classroom.
Despite their thorough efforts, several minutes passed without any sign of the elusive tape. Frustration gnawed at Rory's core, her determination waning as doubt crept in.
Where could Collin have possibly hidden the tape?
Suddenly, Rory's gaze falls upon her old seat. Stepping over and kneeling down, she extends her hand beneath the seat, feeling the space beneath with heightened anticipation. Her heart thuds in her chest, each second feeling like an eternity as her fingers brush against the texture of the tape. With a surge of triumph, she snatched it up, the glint of victory dancing in her eyes.
"Found it!" Rory exclaims, her voice ringing with pure elation.
Vivi rushes to her side, a mix of relief and excitement dancing across her features.
"Is this it?" she asks eagerly.
Rory nods fervently, a wide smile illuminating her face.
"Let's go back and listen to the tape," Vivi suggests, her voice brimming with anticipation.
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Back at Rory's apartment, no time is wasted as she swiftly inserts the tape into the player. Pressing play, Collin's voice burst forth from the speakers, infused with vibrant energy and uncontainable joy.
"If you're listening to this, then you've completed the first mission!" Collin's jubilant words enveloped them, wrapping them in a warm, nostalgic embrace.
A gentle grin tugged at Vivi's lips as she congratulates Rory with a supportive pat on the back, mirroring the elation that swirls within her.
"I will always be grateful that you were the one who found me on the rooftop that day, Rory. Thank you for reaching out to me." Collin's voice lingered in the air, heavy with sincerity. "Here is your second clue. 'Because of you'."
Rory and Vivi exchange puzzled glances, the enigmatic phrase sparking a flurry of questions within their minds.
"Once again, good luck, baby," Collin's voice bids them farewell before the tape came to a halt, leaving them with nothing but anticipation and an air of mystery.
*****